


The Southern Prince and the Forest King

by redradioflyer



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Enchanted Forest, First Meetings, M/M, Magical husband, Polyamory undertones eventual, forest god
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-21
Updated: 2018-12-21
Packaged: 2019-09-23 22:07:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17088626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redradioflyer/pseuds/redradioflyer
Summary: imagine now that Alfred and Matthew do get married. Matthew has met a spirit of some sort- a feathered spirit with black wings and strange red hair- down in Alfred’s country. Alfred has his antler token around his neck, and Matthew a feather. Imagine they do really love each other, and everyone thinks these tokens were some sort of declaration of affection from their respective countries. But no. They just happen to both have spirits that visit their homes and bedrooms now and then- and they both wander off into the wilderness sometimes to see those spirits. And everyone lives happily ever after. Also polyamory always seems the best way to resolve “love triangles” don’t you think?Also the mental image of the forest king inspired by dear miss annie‘s2p!matt





	The Southern Prince and the Forest King

Alfred was not native to the north, and he hadn’t quite anticipated how cold it would be. His country had sent him up with a convoy to negotiate trade agreements and encourage an alliance with their northern neighbors. All of them were a bit unprepared for the harsher winter climate, but their would-be allies rectified the situation by giving them extra cloaks and hats.

Not the best way to start a diplomatic relationship perhaps, but it had left Alfred rather eager to make friends.

This was also probably part of whatever scheme Alfred’s father had as well. The heir to the throne of the Northern Kingship is a lovely man with curling blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes. Alfred has more than once gotten the impression that his most gracious father, King Arthur the Fourth, was hoping that perhaps a marriage might follow soon enough to fully secure the connections of the two kingdoms.

Alfred wouldn’t ever accuse his father of pressuring him to marry for such a reason or even to arrange such a thing. Indeed, Arthur was, in general, a respectful father and wanted the best for his son. He’d just happened to notice that Prince Matthew is an intelligent, strapping young lad and is hoping that Alfred would notice the same.

Although he had certainly noticed when Matthew had visited his kingdom only six months prior, Alfred wasn’t much interested in love and romance just yet, and being in this foreign kingdom for the first time hadn’t put him in a romantic sort of mood. It had him in a particularly adventurous one, actually, and at the moment, that is precisely why he is in trouble.

When he came up into the mountains for a bit of exploring, getting back down seemed so simple, so easy. But he’d strayed off into the woods and wasn’t having an easy time figuring out his way back. It didn’t help that the snow was falling heavily now, and that seemed to disrupt his already terrible sense of direction.

—

Tired, hungry, and still hopelessly lost, Alfred falls down to his knees to take a bit of food from his pouch to eat while he relaxes. He hadn’t counted on falling asleep- new to the north or not, Alfred is well aware than such a mistake could mean his life out in this cold. Between his food though and his desperate attempts to keep warm, though, he’d drifted off out in the mountains near Matthew’s kingdom.

His sleep is restless at first, but he doesn’t stir even when he begins to shiver in the frigid mountain air. Only vaguely does Alfred register wide gentle hands on him. Very soon, he’s resettled and warm, gathered up in a close embrace. Lulled completely now, he sleeps on, heedless to the falling snow and the dangers of the mountain.

—

When he wakes, there’s no soreness or painful bruises that Alfred would expect to get from sleeping on the ground. In fact, he finds that he’s not on the ground at all. He’s been wrapped in some sort of warm fur, and he’s cradled in strong arms. His face is leaning onto a broad chest, and when he looks up, he finds disquieting purple eyes fixated on his face.

Alfred startles away from him, dragging the fur with him. He stares down at the man, fumbling for his sword, but it’s on the ground next to his pack. Perhaps it would’ve have helped anyway, because this man is tall and well muscled. A fight isn’t likely to end well for either of them, but as it is, the man doesn’t even move at all. Alfred notes with surprise that he looks almost like a wild animal- like a deer might look after its heard some strange noise. Though unmoving, this strange man with his wild tangled hair is alert and ready for just about anything.

A thought bubbles up into Alfred’s head, and it almost doesn’t sound like his own thoughts… but it must be mustn’t it? The little voice that murmurs ‘Every creature is more dangerous when frightened, and humans are no exception.’ There’s something of a soothing tone in that voice, and Alfred’s shoulders relax just a bit.

“Who are you…?” Alfred asks, voice the barest whisper.

The man moves then, slow and cautious, as though Alfred is the wild one ready to bolt into the woods at the slightest provocation. He stands up with his hands apart and clearly visible. Alfred wonders at first why he looks so slouched, but he realizes that the other is trying to make himself seem smaller.

Whatever tension and fear was left in the prince is gone now, and he lets out a breath. This man had held him as he slept and not hurt him, and now he is doing everything in his power to ease Alfred’s mind. Although he’s often been scolded for being too trustworthy, Alfred finds that he does trust this strange wild man.

“I am the spirit of the forest. You can call me Matt,” he says, words coming slowly and carefully. Alfred gets the distinct impression that Matt doesn’t have much opportunity to speak.

“A spirit…?” Alfred says, and he takes a step back.

Matt’s eyes flit down to fur, and he reaches for it, slowly. “You slept in a poor place, and I wouldn’t see you freeze to death. But now, can you return my skin?”

Alfred blinks at this—stories rise up into his head from his childhood. In the old tales, humans would catch shifters and spirits with their robes or furs or animal skins off, and by taking those garments, they could bind the unlucky spirit to them for as long as they wish. These are widely known stories, but he hadn’t thought that they might be true until this moment.

“If I kept it,” Alfred says slowly. “You’d be bound to me, wouldn’t you?”

Slowly Matt nods, though he doesn’t seem frightened of such a thing. “I would. It was a risk I took when I wrapped you up to save your life.”

They’re quiet for a moment, staring each other down. Then Alfred takes the furs, with the antlers still at the top and flowers and plants tangled up in the hood. He passes it to Matt, and he sees a flicker of something in the spirit’s eyes- some kind of mix between relief and disappointment.

Matt pulls the hood up, and Alfred gasps at how ethereal and lovely the spirit looks when clothed in his furs. With his furs restored, Matt seems to glow with health and power, and he takes a step close to Alfred.

“Thank you. You are honorable, as I thought.” Matt offers what might be called a smile, but Alfred isn’t sure because it’s the barest tilt of his lips.

Alfred swallows and looks uncertain. “You… you kinda wanted me to… to take the furs didn’t you?”

Now that's definitely a smile, and it makes Alfred blush all the way to the tips of his ears.

“I’ve never been bound to a human before, but you…” Whatever the thought is, Matt doesn’t finish it. Instead his hands come up to trace over Alfred’s face and cheeks.

“I couldn’t do that to someone who saved me, even if I wanted to bring you back with me.”

The answer he gets is a simple low rumble in Matt’s chest, and Alfred’s hands come up to grip gently at the front of Matt’s tunic. Embarrassment is getting the better of Alfred now, and he doesn’t really know what to do with himself with Matt’s attention so wholly focused on him.

“Speaking of… you saved me," Alfred says softly. "I should offer you something… some token of my gratitude. “

After a moment of consideration, Matt shrugs and says, “A simple kiss. That is all that I should like.”

“You can have two,” Alfred says instantly, tilting his face up toward Matt.

Matt laughs, and it seems as though the sound rumbles up through his whole chest. It makes Alfred shiver. “Two? One kiss is a token, young Prince Alfred of the Southern Kingship. A second kiss and I run the risk of stealing your heart.” Matt’s expression is amused and his tone light and teasing.

But it makes Alfred blush nonetheless, and he finds that he’s not even surprised that the forest spirit knows his name. “You could do that without kissing me at all,” Alfred teases back.

The conversation ends there, though, as Matt leans in to take both of the offered kisses. One is quick and light, a gentle brush of lips together, but the second one is deeper, exploratory. Matt’s hands hold Alfred’s face still as he tastes him, and it’s all Alfred can do to even stay upright on his own two feet. There’s a passion and a heat lit Alfred’s stomach now- a feeling he’s never had for anyone before this moment. He leans closer to Matt, urging him keep going, and Matt is happy to oblige. He kisses Alfred positively breathless before he steps back.

“You should get back to the world of men,” Matt says. “They are looking for you now, worried for your life.”

Alfred feels colder- chilled to the bone in fact- now that Matt has stepped away from him. “But… how will I ever find you again?”

Tipping his head to the side, Matt considers the question. “You wish to find me again?” He seems almost smug, and Alfred hasn’t the slightest clue why. Who wouldn’t want to find a great forest spirit again if they could? Especially one who kissed the way Matt had.

Before Alfred can respond to this question, Matt breaks a spike off of his antler, wincing as he does. He presses it into Alfred’s hand.  

“Not so well bound as I should be if you kept my fur… but even the smallest piece can call me to you when you want to see me.” Matt nods at this and steps closer to him again. “It is but a small piece, but you didn’t have to steal this bond from me. That makes it all the more powerful.” They share a long moment of eye contact before Matt says, “Now go.”

Matt disappears in a swirl of white. Now with a gift from the forest spirit, Alfred takes his pack and his sword and finds that he knows the way down from the mountain as if he’d walked those woods his whole life.

—

One night three days later, Alfred has the piece of antler hanging about his neck. He admires it in the candlelight of his own bedroom and wonders how he is to use this to call that strange spirit to him. After a moment’s hesitation, he closes his eyes and lifts it to his lips to leave a gentle kiss on the smooth bone.

A moment that seems like an eternity to Alfred passes as he holds his breath, but then strong arms are around him, bringing with them the scent of earth and plants and snow.

**Author's Note:**

> imagine now that Alfred and Matthew do get married. Matthew has met a spirit of some sort- a feathered spirit with black wings and strange red hair- down in Alfred’s country. Alfred has his antler token around his neck, and Matthew a feather. Imagine they do really love each other, and everyone thinks these tokens were some sort of declaration of affection from their respective countries. But no. They just happen to both have spirits that visit their homes and bedrooms now and then- and they both wander off into the wilderness sometimes to see those spirits. And everyone lives happily ever after. Also polyamory always seems the best way to resolve “love triangles” don’t you think?
> 
> Also the mental image of the forest king inspired by dear miss annie‘s [ 2p!matt ](http://vi-6w6.tumblr.com/post/119660835166/this-was-suppose-to-be-much-bigger-and-much-more)


End file.
